A PRX Global Story Project pitch
Proposed by Bramwell Ryan
Mount Athos is the Christian Tibet, a place that time forgot.
This finger of land in north eastern Greece is the other side of the wardrobe Lucy used to enter Narnia. Except here, no one named Lucy is allowed. For 1,000 years the Holy Mountain’s old growth forests and fairy tale castles have been for men only.
I want to go back to Agios Oros to take a closer look at one of the world’s few societal control samples. Just as in any experiment it’s important to keep original material separate for reference, so it is with Athos.
With no phones, computers, TV, radio, no Twitter or Facebook, Athos is unstained by any number of the revolutions that have swept our world.
I was in Athos two years ago but want a longer visit to capture a better sense of this place and the ancient way of life that is utterly different from anything on this side of the wardrobe. A piece on the mysterious heart of Orthodoxy will resonate with many PRX listeners. For the rest of us, it’ll be a chance to stand, albeit briefly, under the light at Lantern Waste.
Bramwell Ryan bio
A detailed resumé is available upon request
Audio sample | Bangladesh
Audio Sample | Adriatic
Proposed budget
Travel: airfare, ground transport, food, hotels and monastery donations – $3,500
Salary: 3 weeks @ $1,500/wk – $4,500
Total estimated budget: $8,000
Production details & critical path
Travel Canada to Greece, interviews in Athens, ground transport to Thessaloniki for interviews, one week or so on Mount Athos then home again. Research, interviews, sound gathering, script, voicing, editing, mixing and final production by Bramwell Ryan. I am my own editor and have numerous marketing tools. Overseas travel will be in mid-November; project complete by December 12.
References:
Jamie Howison – recorded and edited many audio pieces for him; created a long-running podcast
E: jamie@stbenedictstable.ca
T: 204-781-8450
Catherine Pate – Stage Left Communications; professional colleague
E: cpate@stageleftcommunications.ca
T: 204-250-9120
Ernie Warkentin – personal reference
E: ewarkentin@ernstdavid.com
T: 204-294-9920